Radiator construction



Jan. 14, 1930. A. B. MODINE 9 39 RADIATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 25, 1925 2 sheets sheei 1 (:ITIIIIIIIIE Jan. 14, 1930.

A. B. MODINE RADIATOR CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Sept. 25, 1925 AV AV AVA V AV AV Patented Jan. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES ARTHUR B. MODINE, F RACINE, WISCONSIN RADIATOR CONSTRUCTION Application filed September 25, 1925.

My invention relates to radiators and particularly to radiators adapted for use in the cooling systems of internal combustion engines and the like. The invention has among its other objects the production of devices of the kind described which are compact, durable, efiicient and satisfactory for use wherever found applicable. A particular object of the inventiin is to produce devices 0 of the kind described wherein there will be exceedingly etlicient heatexchange between the water flowing though the tubes and the air passing around the tubes. Another particular object ofthe invention is to utilize substantially all of the metal from which the parts of the'radiator are formed, the metal displaced toprovide apertures being formed into fins or flanges.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described,

and more particularly pointed out in the claims. I

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a radiator embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a. fragmentary section taken on the line 4l of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation of one of a plurality of plates which. form parts of the radiator shown in Fig. 1, the plate being shown in an intermediate stage of manufacture' 6 is a fragmentary elevation of the plate shown in Fig. 5, the plate being shown in another stage of manufacture;

Fig. 7 illustrates the manner in which the plate shown in Fi s. 5 and 6 is assembled with the water tubes or the radiator;

Serial No. 58,538.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section illustrating another form of the invention;

Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary elevation of one of a plurality of plates which form parts of the radiator shown in Fig. 8, the plate being shown in an intermediate stage of manufacture:

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary section taken through a radiator embodying another form of the invention, and- Fig. 12 is a section taken on line 1212 of Fig. 11.

Referring for the present to Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, wherein I have illustrated my improved construction embodied in a radiator adapted for use in automobiles, aeroplanes and the like, the reference characters 10 and 11 designate water tubes and plates, respectively, the water tubes 10 being mounted in apertures 13 formed in the plates 11 and being held in spaced relation by the plates. The tubes 10 are preferably formed from relatively thin sheet metal, the front and rear edges of the tubes being rounded as at 14 and the side walls thereof being flattened as at 14. It will be noted that the tubes are rela tively narrow, and that they extend from adjacent the front edges of the plates to adjacent the rear edges thereof.

In Figs. 5 andG I have illustrated the method which I practise to produce the plates 11. A plurality of longitudinal slits 15 and a plurality of transverse slits 16 are punched ineach of the plates 11. The slits 15 are arranged in pairs, each pair being connected by one of the slits 16. A plurality of diagonal slits 18 are also punched in each plate 11, the slits 18 being arranged in such manner that tongues or vanes 19 may be struck up from the plates. The slits 15 and 16 are so arranged that inclined flanges 21 may be struck up from the plates in the operation in which the apertures 13 are formed therein, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. The metal which is displaced when "the ends of the apertures 13 are formed, is formed into arcuate flanges 23 adapted to engage the front and rear edges of the tubes 10. In the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, the tongues or vanes 19 are arranged at those points at which the inclined flanges 21 join the plates 11. The inclined flanges 21 are so formed that their free edges will contact with the flattened sides 15' of the tubes 10. The plates 11 are coated with any suitable substance to which solder does not readily adhere. These coatings may be applied to the plates before or after the flanges 21 and 23 have been formed thereon. If the flanges 21 and 23 are formed after the plates have been coated, it is obvious that the edges of the flanges '21 and the inner surfaces of the flanges 23 will be substantially clean and free from the coating substance. If the coatings are applied after the flanges 21 and 23 have been formed, the edges of the flanges 21 and the inner surfaces of the flanges 23 are cleaned in any suitable manner and by any suitable apparatus.

To permanently assemble the tubes 10 and plates 11, I preferably practise my improved method which is more fully described in my copending application, Serial No. 58,542, filed Sept. 25, 19251 The tubes 10 and plates 11 are assembled to occupy the relative positions wherein they are shown in Fig. 1. The radiator is then held in a substantially horizontal position and dipped a short distance into a bath of fused solder whereupon capillary attraction causes the solder to flow upon the tubes 10 at the points where they are contacted by the free edges of the flanges 21 and the inner surfaces of the flanges 23. Of course,-

to solder the inner surfaces of the flanges 23 located on the upper side of the radiator, it is necessary to invert the radiator and again dip ,it a short distance in the bath of solder.

\Vhen the radiator is then withdrawn from the solder, the plates and tubes are rigidly secured to each other. 7

The above described construction insures that there will be exceedingly eflicient heat exchange between the walls of the tubes 10 ,andthe plates 11, as the heat readily flows through the soldered connections. It also insures that there will be a maximum transfer of heat between the water in the tubes 10 and the air passing through the radiator as the plates serve as cooling fins for the tubes and the flanges 23 and the tongues or vanes 19 create a turbulence in the air passing through the radiator so that substantially all of the air passing through the radiator comes in contact with the tubes. It will be noted that the tongues or vanes 19 project from the sides of the plates 11 and that substantially half of them point toward the rear of the radiator while the remaining half point toward the front of the radiator. It will also be noted that the metal displaced to provide the apertures 13 is formed into the flanges 21 and that there is no waste of material.

As hereinbcfore set forth, the tubes 10 are substantially identical with the radiator construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive. However, in the radiator construction illustrated in Figs. 8 to 10, inclusive, the tongues or vanes 19 are omitted and a plurality of tongues or vanes 19 and 19 of substantially identical form are employed in place thereof. The vanes 19 and 19 are ar ranged substantially centrally of the inclined flanges 21, the vanes 19* projecting from the uppersides of the flanges 21, and the vanes 19 projecting from the lower sides of the flanges 21.

I In Figs. 11 and 12, I have shown still another form of the invention embodied in a radiator which is substantially identical with the radiator shown in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, with the exception that the tongues or vanes 19 are omitted therefrom. In the radiator construction shown in Figs. 11 and 12, a plurality of pointed lugs 19 are formed upon the upper surfaces of the inclined flanges 21. The pointed lugs 19 are formed b punching them of the metal from which t e inclined flanges are formed, thus leaving a plurality of depressions 1O upon the undersides of the flanges. The pointed lugs 19 are adapted to cause a turbulence in the air passing through the radiator so that substantially all of it will come in contact with the tubes 10 and What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the kind described, a plurality of substantially flat plates, flanges struck up from said plates to form apertures therein, tubes provided with substantially flat sides and arranged in said apertures, said apertures being larger than said tubes and said flanges being arranged to engage said tubes, the flanges being of such size and shape that air may pass freely between any one of said tubes and the flanges engaging it, and smaller flanges struck up out of said plate and arranged to direct air through "said flanges toward said tubes.

2. In a device of the kind described, a plurality of substantially flat plates, flanges struck up from said plates to form apertures therein, tubes provided with substantially flat sides and arranged in said apertures", said apertures being larger than said tubes and said flanges being arranged to engage said tubes, the flanges being of such size and shape that air may pass freely between any one of said tubes and the flanges engaging it, and

. projections formed upon said flanges to increase the exchange of heat between them and.

the air, said flanges being perforated to permit passage of air therethrough.

3. In a device of the kind described, a plurality of substantially flat plates, flanges struck up from said plates to form apertures therein, tubes provided with substantially flat sides and arranged in said apertures, said apertures being larger than said tubes and said flanges'bein arranged to engage said tubes, the flanges being of such size and shape that air may pass freely between any one of said tubes and the flanges engaging it, the flanges being perforated to permit passage of air therethrough.

4. In a device of the kind described, a plurality of substantially flat lates, fianges struck up from said plates to orm apertures therein, tubes provided with substantially flat sides and arranged in said apertures, said apertures being larger than said tubes and said flanges being arranged to engage said tubes, the flanges being of such size and shape that air may pass freely between any one of said tubes and the flanges enga ing it, and smaller flanges struck up out 0 said plate, said smaller flanges of all the plates being arranged at regular intervals and'on the same side of said larger flanges.

In testimony whereof, signed my name.

ARTHUR B. MODINE.

I have hereunto 

